Health Library

Artificial sweeteners can be substituted for sugar without adding calories to your diet. But are they safe? Most are, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The American Diabetes Association agrees and suggests that sugar substitutes can be part of a healthy diet. The FDA currently approves the use of:

saccharin, marketed as Sweet’N Low

aspartame, most commonly known as NutraSweet and Equal

acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet and Sunett)

sucralose (Splenda)

neotame

Everyone knows that sugar is found in foods like candy and cookies. But do you know that sugar may also be lurking in the jar of spaghetti sauce you bought at the supermarket? The small amount of sugar in pre-made sauce may not be enough to affect your health—or waistline. But consumed over the course of a day, hidden sugars may add up to too many calories with no nutritional value, leading to unwanted pounds as well as tooth decay.

Your daily sugar intake comes mainly in two forms: Naturally occurring sugars, the kind found in foods like milk and fruit, and added sugars, found in processed foods like ice cream and cookies—and your spaghetti sauce. You may also find sugar hiding in such unlikely products as ketchup, salad dressing, salsa, canned vegetables, granola, sports bars and fruit cocktails.

Count all the sugar you use, not just the cookies. That heaping teaspoon of sugar in your several cups of tea throughout the day can add up to many tablespoons. Consider using a low-calorie sweetener.

Choose nutritious sweeteners instead. Rather than a generous squeeze of honey on your oatmeal, add cut-up fresh fruit and cinnamon.

Experiment with using less sugar in your recipes. Often, the extra sugar won’t be missed.

For the best health and disease protection, eat more complex carbohydrates—vegetables, fruits and grains—instead of the simple carbohydrates found in sugars, the American Heart Association recommends. You’ll be adding more fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet in the bargain.